Steve decided to take the podcast out of hibernation for this special one-off episode on the best albums of the 2010's, with special guest Ian Cohen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Favorite Albums of 2018

Dec 17th, 2018 1h 6m

Every year of my professional life as a music critic, I've made year-end lists. Sometimes it was because I simply had to do it, but more often (especially when I was younger) I did it because I thought it was fun. Making a year-end list was lik

Contrarian's Canon: Joni Mitchell's "Night Ride Home"

Dec 10th, 2018 55m 16s

This week we return with another installment of Contrarian's Canon, our semi-regular series with Ryley Walker where we talk about great albums that for some reason have been maligned or forgotten about in the course of music history. This time,

Fantasy A&R: The Ultimate Mid-'90s Oasis Album

Dec 3rd, 2018 57m 49s

Last month, we started a new game called Fantasy A&R, where we take a classic album and attempt to improve/mutilate it by making our own stupid suggestions, such as adding or subtracting songs, swapping in alternate versions, and other probably

The 2nd Annual "Last Waltz" Holiday Special

Nov 19th, 2018 53m 17s

Back in 2016, I wrote a column in which I declared that The Last Waltz is the best Thanksgiving movie. "It affirms the faith in the power of ritual to heal — at least temporarily — whatever is awkward or unresolved or plain broken about your fa

Fantasy A&R: How To Make a 12-Track Version of the Beatles' "White Album"

Nov 12th, 2018 55m 7s

In the week's episode of Celebration Rock we introduce a new game called Fantasy A&R, where we take a classic album and attempt to improve/mutilate it by making our own stupid suggestions, such as adding or subtracting songs, swapping in altern

Contrarian's Canon: Dave Matthews Band's "The Lillywhite Sessions"

Nov 5th, 2018 59m 50s

In the late '90s, the Dave Matthews Band was one of the biggest bands in the world. Each of their first three albums went multi-platinum, and their improvisational live shows made them a stadium headliner. And yet this hippie-friendly collectiv

October's Top Indie Albums by Kurt Vile, Cat Power, and Pinegrove

Oct 29th, 2018 49m 4s

On this week's episode of Celebration Rock I invited Pitchfork senior editor (and now friend of the podcast) Stacey Anderson to discuss this month's most notable indie-rock albums. Our discussion began with Pinegrove, who's latest album Skyligh

Twenty One Pilots vs. Greta Van Fleet

Oct 22nd, 2018 57m 18s

In the past few weeks, two of 2018's most anticipated rock albums have been released: Trench by Twenty One Pilots and Anthem of the Peaceful Army by Greta Van Fleet. In my review of Trench, I noted that Twenty One Pilots have created a deep and

Contrarian Canon: Pink Floyd's "The Division Bell"

Oct 15th, 2018 50m 14s

Last month, I invited great indie-rock guitarist and hilarious Twitter user Ryley Walker on the podcast to talk about an album that impacted both of our lives as teenagers, dc Talk's '90s Christian-rock opus Jesus Freak. It was so much fun that

A Tribute To The Stills and Other Overlooked Bands of the Post-Strokes Boom

Oct 8th, 2018 56m 3s

This month is the 15th anniversary of Logic Will Break Your Heart, the debut album by Montreal quartet The Stills, one of many scruffy, post-punk bands that followed in the wake of the Strokes in the early '00s. For a while, any band that sort

The Status of Tom Petty's Legacy

Oct 1st, 2018 52m 50s

Last Friday, a career-spanning box set called An American Treasure was released delving into the work of Tom Petty, in time for the one-year anniversary of the venerable rocker's death on Oct. 2. Unlike most retrospectives, An American Treasure

How Michael Beinhorn Shepherded "Superunknown" and "Celebrity Skin"

Sep 24th, 2018 59m 30s

If you've spent any time reading the liner notes of classic '90s rock albums, there's a very good chance you know the name Michael Beinhorn. As one of the era's top record producers, his credits include some of the best and most popular records

Recent "Under The Radar" faves by Low, the Lemon Twigs, Ruston Kelly, and more.

Sep 17th, 2018 50m 44s

Last month, I did a Celebration Rock episode on my favorite sleeper albums of 2018. This week, I figured that the need to talk about lesser known records is so great that it could sustain a semi-regular series of episodes. So, I called up my fr

Can Liberals and Conservatives Still Bond Over Music?

Sep 10th, 2018 1h 1m

There used to be an old saying about how you should never talk about politics or religion in friendly conversation, because those are the topics guaranteed to make any interaction decidedly un-friendly. However, in the past few years, it's been

DC Talk's "Jesus Freak" and The Peak of '90s Christian Rock

Sep 3rd, 2018 46m 39s

Back in May, I interviewed the hilarious and talented singer-songwriter Ryley Walker about his very good recent album, Deafman Glance. But one of the most memorable parts of the conversation was a tangent about Christian rock, which had been a

New Albums By Interpol, Death Cab For Cutie, Mitski, and Foxing

Aug 27th, 2018 1h

In this episode, we review some of the most notable rock albums from the month of August, including the latest from two legacy acts and recent highlights by two of indie-rock's brightest young acts. Joining me is "friend of the pod" Ian Cohen,

Former Pitchfork Editor Mark Richardson Discusses The Site's Rise

Aug 20th, 2018 1h 5m

If you have read any music writing at all online in the past 20 years, there's a very good chance you have encountered Mark Richardson in some way. As a long-time writer and editor for Pitchfork, Richardson has been reviewing records for one of

Robbie Robertson On 50 Years of "Music From Big Pink"

Aug 13th, 2018 55m 14s

Fifty years ago this summer, one of the greatest debut albums in rock history was released. Though when The Band put out 1968's Music From Big Pink, they weren't exactly unknown. Two years prior, they had backed Bob Dylan on his first "electric

Favorite Sleeper Albums of 2018 So Far

Aug 6th, 2018 56m 58s

Throughout the year, really good albums come and go with minimal attention. What happens to those records once they are sucked into the black hole of bottomless content? Are they gone forever? In this episode, we try to rescue some worthy recen

Courtney Barnett Tells You How She Really Feels

Jul 30th, 2018 45m 59s

One of the best things about being a music critic with a podcast is being able to ask an artist you've written about to confirm or deny opinions and theories you have about their music. For instance, when I reviewed Courtney's Barnett latest al

25 Years of 'Siamese Dream'

Jul 23rd, 2018 54m 28s

On July 27, one of the greatest rock albums of modern times turns 25. At least I count Siamese Dream as one of the best guitar records of the past quarter-century — it seems like the overall stature of Smashing Pumpkins has slipped a bit. The b

Shawn Everett Probably Recorded Your Favorite Album

Jul 16th, 2018 56m 46s

Even if you don't know the name Shawn Everett, it's very likely that you've enjoyed an album that he's produced, engineered, or mixed in the past several years. In 2015, he rose to prominence for his work on Alabama Shakes' Sound + Color, possi

After 25 Years, Adam Duritz of Counting Crows Is Still Here

Jul 9th, 2018 56m 34s

This summer, Counting Crows will be back on the road for their "25 Years And Counting" tour, celebrating a quarter-century since the release of 1993's classic debut, August and Everything After. During that time, Counting Crows have maintained

Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes Isn't Interested in Fame

Jul 2nd, 2018 56m 27s

In the past decade. Starting with 2009's North Hills, the quartet has been distinguished by strong, understated ensemble playing and Taylor Goldsmith's earnest, narrative songwriting, which evokes the tenderness of Jackson Browne and the evocat